Choices
by Mrfipp
Summary: There are somethings you have to do. But there are somethings you have no choice but to do. Filled request for a FFXIII prompt list.


Fipp: Wow, I've been writing a lot of one-shots lately.

Now this one was written for a FFXIII prompt I found online, and decided to do, in which the prompt was based on the fact that the guy seen with Lightning in the XIII-2 trailer looks like a human version of Bahamut.

The prompt was to give Odin a human form, and have him and Lightning interact.

**Choices  
**  
Eyes closed, Lightning sat on the steps on the temple of the Goddess Etro. Personally, she couldn't care less for the Goddess, or anything related to her, but . . .

She opened her eyes and looked down at the weapon in her hand; it had been with her so long, and it was only given to those who had the power to wield it. It was one of the few material things she took pride in.

It would be a shame to leave it behind.

_'It would seems something troubles you, My Lady.'  
_  
Narrowing her eyes, Lightning looked behind her and up the steps. She could feel the area on her breast where the Mark was placed tingle.

Walking down the steps was a tall man in while and gold armor, and long blonde hair flowing from the back of his horned helmet.

"Just what do you want?" Lightning half-snapped, turning away. She pushed herself to her feet and began to walk away. The man followed until she stopped about twenty feet away.

_'It is my duty to look after you,' the man said.  
_  
Lightning would have laughed, but she didn't. "Only because you have no choice, Odin."

It was, odd, to say the least. But the Eidolon who at first tried to kill her, and then served her for the rest of her Focus until Cocoon was destroyed, until the Mark had vanished, had managed to take on a human form.

Of course, it was necessary for . . .

She looked back to Odin, whom she thought she would never see again after what happened at Cocoon.

Cocoon . . .

_'You worry about them, correct My Lady?' _His mouth didn't move. His voice just seemed to float into her head.

Lighting didn't answer, but simply began to walk away again. Odin followed.

_'As you know, there is always a choice in the matter. There is no reason for this to be done.'  
_  
Lightning stopped again, and so did Odin.

"You know," she said, not looking back to Odin. "At first, I thought that this would have been a lot more simple than this. All I wanted was to save Vanille and Fang, but it's gotten so much more than that. I simply can't walk away, no matter how much I want to."

_'You've chosen to fight, instead on spending the rest of your life in peace with the Sister, the Hero, the Father, and the Child.'  
_  
She gave a heavy and tired chuckle. "You make it sound like I want to spend the rest of my life fighting."

Odin folded his arms over his chest. _'You've said it yourself, 'Lightning cannot protect, but only destroy', correct?'_

Lightning spun around and pointed the Blazefire Sabre at Odin, finger on the trigger, simply waiting for him to give her any more excuses to shoot at him.

But she didn't shoot him. She didn't stab or slice at him. Instead, she loosened her grip on the gunblade and let it drop to ground where it clattered as it hit the stone floor. That would have most likely been the last time she touched it.

"I've made an oath to Etro," she said, lowering her arm, as well as her gaze, to her side. "It no longer matters what happens, but I have to stick with that oath."

_'Even if it means eternal damnation to your own soul?'  
_  
Lightning was about to snap back at him, but he turned his head down towards the darkness.

"He's here, isn't he?" He didn't need to answer. Lightning turned to where he was facing, and saw the very person she was meant to meet.

With neither one speaking a word to each other, Odin vanished in a bright white light, and Lightning found herself in the Armor, with the Weapon in her hand, and pure white feathers drifted around her.

As she readied herself for another battle, she could only bitterly think on how this all began with a single bad birthday.

Please review

Mrfipp


End file.
